The following email was received today from NCL:

At NCL, we're always thinking of new ways to make your client's travel and
booking experience easier and more enjoyable. Today's email is all about
keeping it simple - so here's a quick update on some simple enhancements we'
ve recently put in place.


It's no secret: Airfares are a moving target. NCL's rates are set by the
airlines and are passed directly to your customers. Which means all air
pricing is subject to change at anytime. It's important to tell your clients
(especially groups) that since air prices can and do change, if they see a
price they like, they should book it at the time a quote is given.


We call it resort casual. By day, just about anything goes. Khakis, skirts,
casual tops, shorts, sandals, flip-flops or whatever - all good to go
throughout the ship. At night, it's relaxed. Casual shirts and pants, even
nice jeans (that's new) for guys. For women, it's slacks or jeans (also
new), dresses, shirts and tops. Shirts and nice shorts are fine for kids
under 12. For those who prefer to dress up at night, one restaurant will
always be designated no jeans. No matter what your client's style, our new
attire policy is the perfect fit.


Fresh air. It's something every passenger will appreciate. Which is why we'
ve made public areas throughout all NCL and NCL America ships smoke-free. If
your clients are smokers, just let them know they can still smoke cigarettes
in their stateroom, on their balcony and in the casino on our NCL ships, or
cigar bar (where available). If they prefer pipes or cigars, they can smoke
in the Cigar Bar or designated smoking lounge. Cigarettes, pipes and cigars
are also permitted outside on open decks. However, smoking around food
venues, sports decks or jogging areas, kids' pool areas and other designated
smoking areas is still a no-no.


That wraps up the latest updates. We appreciate your interest in these
informative emails. And we hope these enhancements and simplifications will
help make NCL an even more compelling option for your cruise prospects.
After all, offering the best possible vacation experience is good news for
you and those that matter most - your customers.

It is a shame that they didn't have that dress code before, especially when they said it was freestying and they wouldn't tell people how to dress.

Imt, NCL has provided pax guidance on how to dress. It's spelled out clearly in my Welcome Aboard brochures from both our 2005 and 2006 cruises. What's new is that you can now wear "nice" jeans. Whatever those are.

The post above was sent to travel agents. I don't see anything similar on NCL's consumer site.

And, with this news, I say "farvel" to what was once my favorite cruise line.

You'll find this new information at NCL's FAQ.

How should I dress for dinner?

Freestyle Cruising gives you the freedom to dress as you please – morning, noon and night.
Casual attire is perfect for all restaurants during the day -- Khakis, skirts, jeans, casual tops, shorts or whatever. Swimwear with a cover-up is fine at the buffet and outdoor restaurant.
For dinner, collared shirts and pants or nice jeans work for guys. Slacks or jeans, dresses, skirts and tops are perfect for women. But if you want to dress up and add a little glamour when you dine out, (meaning no jeans) that’s OK too – we’ve reserved one restaurant each night just for that.
For kids 12 and under, nice shorts are appropriate in all restaurants at all times.

What about smoking on the ship?

We want you to be comfortable on board, so public areas throughout all NCL ships are smoke free. If you smoke cigarettes, you can do so in your stateroom, on your balcony, in the casino or Cigar Bar (where available). If you prefer pipes or cigars, you can smoke in the Cigar Bar or designated smoking lounge. Also, you can smoke cigarettes, pipes and cigars outside on open decks (just not around food venues, sport decks, kids’ pool areas and other designated non-smoking areas).

There are many more FAQs than these, you can view all of them at
http://www.ncl.com/nclweb/cruiser/cmsPages.html?pageId=FAQ

I can't believe I missed that, Ron. (Although I knew that the moment I typed that sentence, someone would find it quickly. )

Mary & I certainly welcome the news announcement made today by NCL. We have traveled to many posh resorts in the past and the dress code is the same as NCL, and we certainly welcome the policies mentioned. For us, cruising is a vacation, a get away from the pressure cooker world of high finance and the stock markets. It is so nice to be on a beautiful cruise ship that you don't have to dress to impress, but can relax and really kick back, or dress up if you wish. We also welcome the new policy of no smoking in public places. We know these new policies will make our next NCL cruise in September on the beautiful NCL Pearl a real treat, and even more enjoyable than our other two Pearl cruises this year. Looks the old saying may be true, "3rd time is the charm", even though cruise #1 and cruise #2 on the NCL Pearl was fantastic.

(Even though we received the email, we are not travel agents.)

Richard & Mary
Las Cruces, New Mexico USA
NCL Platinum Latitudes Members

Next cruises booked:

NCL Pearl Sept 24th Vancouver, BC to L.A. 5 days

Diamond Princess Dec 3rd, L.A. to Hawaii 15 days.

NCL Sun Oct 2008 Mexican Riveria, from San Francisco 11 days

Gotta love the smoking policy...now if that would include the casino...I just might want to go in and drop some money....the dress code didn't really change that much...there as been lots of jeans in the dining room at nights for years....besides...jeans never did bother me...it's your choice..."Freestyle"...Thanks NCL...

Bob E

I'm not a big fan of free-style cruising
in the first place. But JEANS!!!!?????
"Nice jeans" translates to jeans in the people's minds who wear jeans.
This is cruising, not a bowling alley.
I am going to have to go back to Princess for some civility.